ABU's

I've been retired since 99. I went out to Nellis today to meet a friend for lunch. Alot of guys were wearing those ABU's some people here were complaining about. I didn't think they looked that at all. Just be glad they didn't make you guys wear the blue verison I had seen on the interweb before.

They looked more comfortable than my polyester green pickle suit.

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Some morons have been seen with pressed ABUs. The first one I see with pressed ones is going to seriously jacked up, bad enough he has to wash it. The bastard.

I have "embraced the gayness" and have two pairs, primarily because i'm getting tired of shining and polishing to go five minutes later in full body armor and sit in a Humvee for 12 hours where nobody will see how uber high speed I look when I'm crawling around in the grass looking ready for an inspection.

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"And Shepherds we shall be. For thee, my Lord for thee. Power hath descended forth from thy hand, that our feet may swiftly carry out thy command. So we shall flow a river forth to thee and teeming with souls shall it ever be. In nomine Patris, et fili, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen."

Some morons have been seen with pressed ABUs. The first one I see with pressed ones is going to seriously jacked up, bad enough he has to wash it. The bastard.

I have "embraced the gayness" and have two pairs, primarily because i'm getting tired of shining and polishing to go five minutes later in full body armor and sit in a Humvee for 12 hours where nobody will see how uber high speed I look when I'm crawling around in the grass looking ready for an inspection.

I'd jack them up, too. Pressing the ABUs is prohibited. They can iron a crease in their stripes, but that's about it.

Some morons have been seen with pressed ABUs. The first one I see with pressed ones is going to seriously jacked up, bad enough he has to wash it. The bastard.

I have "embraced the gayness" and have two pairs, primarily because i'm getting tired of shining and polishing to go five minutes later in full body armor and sit in a Humvee for 12 hours where nobody will see how uber high speed I look when I'm crawling around in the grass looking ready for an inspection.

Thats the problem I have with the AF, Security Forces seem to be more guilty at times. An example if you ever watch the military channel there is a special on a recent sniper compitition. The AF Schmucks (Security troops) actually have pressed BDU's with creases in the stripes. even in a field FTX they have to be all GQ. That is about as stupid as the idea of running speed guns at forward operating bases. sometimes I think the AF trains so much they forget how the real world works! glad i am retired.

Thats the problem I have with the AF, Security Forces seem to be more guilty at times. An example if you ever watch the military channel there is a special on a recent sniper compitition. The AF Schmucks (Security troops) actually have pressed BDU's with creases in the stripes. even in a field FTX they have to be all GQ. That is about as stupid as the idea of running speed guns at forward operating bases. sometimes I think the AF trains so much they forget how the real world works! glad i am retired.

Don't blame the troops. Do you think we want to go to all that trouble for no reason? Blame the brass and senior NCOs.

It will only be a matter of time before they decide we have to start starching the ABUs and someone will design a boot to go with the uniform that can be polished. Kiwi will have to come up with an new color of polish for it.

Don't blame the troops. Do you think we want to go to all that trouble for no reason? Blame the brass and senior NCOs.

It will only be a matter of time before they decide we have to start starching the ABUs and someone will design a boot to go with the uniform that can be polished. Kiwi will have to come up with an new color of polish for it.

I blame the troops because it's the little fake shallow ones that have the mentality that "I have to look all crisp and GQ ones" that go to the trouble and keep doing some stupid things. They are the ones that somehow make it to a position to dictate using speedguns in forward areas etc. After 21 years I have seen just about all types.

I blame the troops because it's the little fake shallow ones that have the mentality that "I have to look all crisp and GQ ones" that go to the trouble and keep doing some stupid things. They are the ones that somehow make it to a position to dictate using speedguns in forward areas etc. After 21 years I have seen just about all types.

**Warning** *Stepping onto soap-box*

I blame both. When I first got in I would spend at least a half hour a night on my boots. I ran out of steam after about 2 months at my first assignment. now I just throw a quick coat of the liquid Kiwi every month or so. It's not worth the effort as a F-16 crew chief to keep boots highly polished. I have always thought it was idiotic to press/starch the BDUs as they are a "Battle Dress Uniform" it's a utility uniform, it's meant to get dirty and take abuse. It just drives me nuts when a SNCO makes a snide comment about my boots not having a shine on them even when they are still black or something about wrinkles after I've been working on aircraft for 10 hours. I will never press/starch my ABUs when I get them...I long ago stopped pressing my BDUs. The problem arises when Lil' Miss GQ goes and starches his uniform, then his dumb-ass flight chief or other SNCO see it and thinks it's cool looking, then they get it in their mind that that is the standard, then they expect us all to do it too. It's a vicious circle that has got to be stopped. SNCOs need to do their job and ensure the troops are using/wearing their uniforms properly rather than encouraging the GQ behaviors. Part of the problem lies in the fact that most people in the USAF never had a real job for any length of time before they enlisted/got a commission.

Way too much attention is given to appearances in the USAF. I even had a SNCO tell me if he had "Troop A" (with several years experience and expertise) and "Troop B" (knows absolutely nothing, but always has a sharp looking uniform) interviewing for a QA position he would give the job to "Troop B" because his uniform is always looking sharp, regardless of the fact "Troop A" has more knowledge, experience, and skill than "Troop B". I told him he was stupid and that's not how it works in the real world. He didn't like my assessment, but I didn't like the fact that he insinuated I was worthless to him because I don't press my uniforms or polish my boots.

I don't know how many times I've had to perfectly line up fire extinguishers on the flight line. Or have some dumb-ass SNCO insist that we go wax/buff a tow vehicle or deicing truck (which both have FLAT paint jobs) even after several of us tell him it won't work and you don't wax/buff flat paint. If they'd just let us do our jobs and stop worrying about appearances, we probably wouldn't be undermanned.

I don't want to even count how many hours i've wasted starching and ironing BDUs, when the job will last about 90 second past guard mount when I go get in the Humvee for 12 hours and nobody gives a damn how high speed I look. People working the gate who look like utter scumbags and guys in superpressed and shined uniforms get the same treatment (treated like crap) by the rest of the AF. Yes, for certain occasions (honor guard for a general's promotion etc) I can see having a uniform that looks a bit nicer than usual, but 99% of the time nobody gives a damn.

I got more "you look good" comments wearing my IBA with MOLLE pouches attached, ESS glasses and shooting gloves working a gate (I was covering for a guy taking a bathroom break, was mobile), because 1. I looked ready to handle anything and 2.apparently it reminded some of the schmucks at the gate we really do something other than write tickets. I was somewhat wrinkled and not shined, but nobody cared.

Having been writing tickets in the sandbox for six months, I think it's BS too (as did everyone else) but someone thought it was a bright idea, and honestly with as many coalition troops as we had there, it WAS a problem (Aussies think they're driving the Gran Prix, doing 60mph on a road rated for 30, etc), Brits being notorious offenders in taking out slide arm bars at gates (apparently, brakes are a new concept to them) and nearly running over people at marked crosswalks. Safety issue. Being far enough back, they have to come up with some BS to keep busy, which annoys the rest of us who have to do it.

It's just as bad, if not worse in Balad/Anaconda, Al Dhafra, Ali/Talil and other places (having talked to people who were there this week).

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"And Shepherds we shall be. For thee, my Lord for thee. Power hath descended forth from thy hand, that our feet may swiftly carry out thy command. So we shall flow a river forth to thee and teeming with souls shall it ever be. In nomine Patris, et fili, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen."

I'm holding off on getting my ABU's until I find out if Obama wins the election. Most people don't realise that his senior military advisor is Gen (Ret) Merrill A. McPeak. If McPeak gets the SecDef or SecAF positions, we'll probably all get new uniforms anyway. Maybe this time the AF won't say, "97% of people don't go outside the wire anyway, so who cares?"

meangenedrlove--Good post. Don't get me started on the deployed shirt(s) who came up with the rule about how tall your socks can be in PT gear.

meangenedrlove, We are on the same page as far as the uniform and appearance issues. And yes the AF worries way to much about looks. All I'm saying it appeared to me that the SNCO's got their "drive" because they were the candy ass's that did those things as junior enlisted troops.

Herknav, Thats the first time I have heard Mcweak oh I mean McPeak's name mentiond. i'm sure I am not the only one that was less than impressed with him and his worries on the new uniform back in the early 1990's. I feel for the AF or DOD if he gets either.

Meeko--I'm only speculating, but I just don't see it as a big stretch for Obama to nominate his "senior military advisor" to either position if he gets elected.

This whole presidential issue is like one big "totsie roll totsie pop question" of the century. Who is going to get the nod, Who are they likly to pick. After getting the nod will they sway back one way or the other!!! Who knows but you are probably not far off. I am not running anything but I personaly would hate to see McPeak given any "official" capacity or job just by being under him years ago (I don't know who GEN Dugan made mad but he should have kept his spot) however being retired it won't effect me I hope.

I always tried my very best to have a higly pressed uniform and a shiny pair of boots. I also did my job to the best of my ability and was one of the better technicians at my duty station. I worked in an environment where I could do that and not get messed up. I went to Bolling Air Force Base a couple of weeks ago on a job, and there were two young Airman working the gate. Both with sharp berets, starched uniforms and shiny boots. One with a 3 point sling an a M-4 with a Aimpoint. They both looked sharp and presented a professional image. It's pride in your unit and pride in the Air Force. It doesn't mean your the best but it shows you care. In the field starch is a no no. But in garrison it's fine. I think the new boots that don't have to be shined should only be for deployment. In garrison it should be business as usual. IE starch, kiwi, and tight haircuts.

That statement is one of the things about the USAF I have a huge problem with. We're not doctors, lawyers, or accountants...those are professionals. We're warriors. We get down and dirty to get the job done. Sadly I have seen far too many people worried about what their uniform looks like to get the job done. Our country is counting on us to do our jobs without hesitation...we can't afford to have these sissies that are more worried about the shine on their boots or the creases in their uniforms "presenting a professional image" instead of putting bombs on target.

I have to agree. We have cops more worried about getting their uniform screwed up than doing the tactically smart thing and going prone or kneeling, during a real world alert where they are sweeping a building for a possible hostile, and do the "keep my uniform nice squat". I'm sorry, every single day I go to work that does not involve a briefing or a class, it's the real thing. I should not have to worry about being *****ed out because I took a dive in the grass and scuffed up my boot chasing someone (and yes, that has happened) and being told "bring your polishing kit to work" Yeah, sure...... or keeping my crease perfect. I am not a office commando, I wear body armor and a rifle and actively patrol every day. BDUs "were" supposed to be a utility uniform that took little care and could be worn and wiped out without worrying too much about them. As much as I dislike the Approved for Boardroom Use uniform, the wash and wear thing and no-shine boots (which idea has been around since the 1930s, we went back to shiny boots in the 50s) make far more sense for an operational uniform for everyday work.

You want people to look supersharp and "professional" have the office commandos wear blues to work. The mass rebellion would have you killed, but you'd have your way.

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"And Shepherds we shall be. For thee, my Lord for thee. Power hath descended forth from thy hand, that our feet may swiftly carry out thy command. So we shall flow a river forth to thee and teeming with souls shall it ever be. In nomine Patris, et fili, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen."